How Much Do You Trust the NBA?

[connerhenry43]

On a scale from one to ten, with one being Bernard Madoff and ten being your closest relative, how much do you trust the NBA to put out a fair and non-manipulated product?

We have had a corrupt official (well only one acknowledged one), the 2002 Western Conference Finals, and now Game 7 of the NBA finals in 2010 (in my mind, just as shady). There have been rumors of Stern manipulating the lottery on several occasions, including the Celtics falling to pick five in the 2007 NBA Draft (something like a 600 to one shot that Bos, Mil, and Memphis all falling out of the top three). Some people think we have simply rumors; some are conspiracy theorists. Most lie somewhere in the middle. All this being said, most NBA fans will admit to at least some distrust of the league, the commissioner, and its officials.

I am sure there are many opinions from the "there is nothing to see here" crowd to the Oliver Stone conspiracy theorists. Would love to hear from all.

[chelsearules]

On a scale from one to ten

[jarufu]

I'm still a little sore so I trust it as much as WWE at the moment ..

[More Banners]

I'm still a little sore so I trust it as much as WWE at the moment ..

+1

[vl819]

Great topic connerhenry43. (TP)

As for me, im right in the middle at 5.

[GreenFaith1819]

Right now? I'd give it a 4 - and I'm being generous.

This isn't "Celtics Grumbling", either - if we won on Thursday, it'd still be a 4.

10-15 years ago? I'd give the NBA 9 or 10.

The Sacremento Kings/Lakers series from back in the day (01-02, I believe) and the Donaghy fallout from that is cause for worry for me.

I had believed that we lost that game in LA fairly..but after reading the threads here on the blog and realizing that the freethrow count was a whopping 21-6...I'm just not sure.

Some here have made the comments (including myself) over the last few days that LA just killed us on the boards - which they in fact did..But ONLY in the first half.

Boston had a lead of as much as 13 in the 3rd quarter, and had weathered the LA board work from the 1st half.

I'm not so sure that Perk would've made that much of a difference, too....it just seemed (in retrospect) that certain forces were leaning one way..and the Lakers knew that.

Thus, that set the stage for the "Dramatic Hollywood Kobe kisses his wife and kids" ending.....

Thanks for letting me vent a little.

[BBS]

Agreed great topic.
  I trust the NBA about as much as I would trust a rattle snake in a room full of babies.

          ZERO% for me.

[guava_wrench]

About a 9.

Probably more than the NFL, which refuses to get rid of preseason games though it would obviously be the right thing to do considering the limitations of human bodies. I also have little trust with he administration of PED rules and find it ridiculous when players like Ricky Williams get suspended for using pot. Really? Pot?

Baseball annoys me because of a general reluctance to sacrifice tradition to improve the rules. It is good to see that they allowed replay for home runs. I also have issues with the television contract that MLB has with Fox where the fan is a big loser.

[cdif911]

I trust the NBA as a whole, sure there are chances that there is ref corruption, lottery fixing, etc. but I think there would be more whistle blowers if it were the case - Donaghy aside, who has come out and said games are fixed?  It's not like baseball with Canseco (who turned out to be right) followed by all kinds of evidence and admissions...

[Thruthelookingglass]

On a scale from one to ten, with one being Bernard Madoff and ten being your closest relative, how much do you trust the NBA to put out a fair and non-manipulated product?

I trust Bernie Madoff more, so I guess it is zero for me.  I watch the Celtics despite my dread of the NBA being a charade.

[FLCeltsFan]

Zero.  I have seen too much questionable stuff going on for me to have any trust in them. 

[connerhenry43]

thank you for the tp's and the kind words. before this series, i would have said a five. even the morning of game 7, when co-workers were joking that magic and Kareem had been named game 7 refs, i said the nba may try and extend series, but they would never do anything to tarnish a game 7 in the nba finals.

i am not 100% sure it was orders from up above; in fact, i would be shocked if it was. however, at the very least, incompetent refs continue to be swayed by momentum and home crowds. it is virtually impossible for a road underdog to lead wire to wire in the nba. when the celts started strong in game 7, i was happy, but knew it would be hard to hold on for 48 minutes. but when a friend of mine and i are texting before the quarter that the celts will have two fouls called on them within 60 seconds  of the quarter starting, and it happens (both questionable), you have to wonder about the product that is being put in front of us.

i have vowed i am done with the nba. it is hard because i love the celtics and i love basketball. but until stern is gone and all the refs what we know are shaky (crawford, foster, salvadore, bavetta, etc), i cannot continue to support this product.

[Witch-King]

Not at all.

[dark_lord]

[wiley]

I don't trust them to call a good game anymore.  I'm basing that on games 1-3, one of which we won, and half a quarter of game 7.  I don't trust them to understand the consequences of interfering unnaturally....I don't think they see that it hurts the game...and if they don't see it hurts the game they're going to continue to overwhelm the action with stoppages...true in regular season as well.....

  remove the yellow part and the smile